Qatari Official Refers to Egyptians as Enemies
Secretary-General of Qatar National Tourism Council
Akbar al-Baker said Qatar would not grant visas to those it considers
“enemies,” in reference to Egyptians seeking to enter the country.
Baker's statements came in reply to a question on
whether Egyptians would be given visas during Qatar's 2019 tourism campaign.
“The visa will not be open for our enemies - it will
be open for our friends.”
“When you open your arms to Qatar, Qatar will open
its arms even bigger for you. But if you become an adversary of Qatar, then we
will also treat you as an adversary,” Baker said.
“Are visas open for us to go there? No. So why should
we open it for them? Everything is reciprocal,” he noted.
Baker's statements were criticized and denounced by
social media users who demanded an official apology for the term used by the
official.
